1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electric connector used for electrically connecting wires through which electric signals are transmitted to each other, and further to a holder used in the electric connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been suggested a lot of electric connectors each including a housing in which a plurality of terminals are housed, and a holder inserted into the housing for fixing the terminals in the housing.
FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of a plug 500 suggested in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H7(1995)-320809, and FIG. 25 is a rear view of the plug 500.
The plug 500 includes a pin holder 510, and a shield metal case (not illustrated) covering the pin holder 510 therewith.
The pin holder 510 includes a front portion 511 and a rear portion 512, and is formed with a plurality of through-holes 513 into each of which a pin 520 having a resilient plate 521 is inserted. A protrusion 514 formed in each of the through-holes 513 holds each of the pins 520 at a rear end of the resilient plate 521. The pin holder 510 is formed with holes each communicating to each of the through-holes 513. A lock piece 530 is inserted into each of the holes for keeping the pins 520 engaged within the pin holder 510.
FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a connector 600 suggested in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H10(1998)-50381, FIG. 27 is longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector 600, and FIG. 28 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the connector 600.
The connector 600 includes a housing 610 and a retainer 620. The housing 610 has a groove 611 (see FIG. 28), and the retainer 620 has a protrusion 621 extending from a lower plate 622. By inserting the protrusion 621 into the groove 611, the lower plate 622 is prevented from deforming in a direction away from a lower surface of the housing 610, ensuring that the retainer 620 is not engaged to the housing 610 when a female terminal 630 is half inserted into the housing 610.
As mentioned above, in the plug 500, a plurality of the pins 520 are kept engaged in the pin holder 510 by inserting the lock piece 530 into the pin holder 510, and, in the connector 600, a plurality of the female terminals 630 are kept engaged in the housing 610 by inserting the retainer 620 into the housing 610. However, the plug 500 and the connector 600 are accompanied with a problem that the lock piece 530 and the retainer 620 cannot be readily inserted into the pin holder 510 and the housing 610, respectively, resulting in poor operability.
Furthermore, since the pins 520 and the female terminals 630 are inserted into the pin holder 510 and the housing 610 such that they are directed in a common direction, the lock piece 530 and the retainer 620 are required to be engaged to engagement sections of the pins 520 and the female terminals 630 situated at a common location. This results in that the lock piece 530 and the retainer 620 cannot be avoided from being complicated in a shape, and further, brings complexity accompanied when the lock piece 530 and the retainer 620 are inserted into the pin holder 510 and the housing 610, respectively.